Neurodegenerative diseases (NDD) are genetic terms of a type of chronic and progressive disease, primarily caused by the lost of neuron in brain and spinal cord. Pathological damage on nervous tissue will lead to irreversible effects, as a result of limited repair function. These reflect in clinical index such as memory deterioration, cognitive difficulties, dementia, motion balance disorder, loss of exercise ability and the like.
NDD include Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), Huntington disease (HD), Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), etc., sort by various clinical features and pathological characteristics.
AD is the most common NDD, defined by a progressive decline in memory and most typical pathological change is Senile Plaque (SP) and a large loss of neuron. SP is the accumulation of abundant β-amyloid (Aβ) peptides, which have nuerotoxic effects. The deposition of Aβ would increase the intracellular Ca2+ concentration, have interference on phosphorylation of ATP, and abnormally activate microglia. These progresses finally induce injury and death of neuron.
PD is the second prevalence NDD. Similar to AD, PD also has a distinctive character, Lewy bodies (DLB). DLB is made of abnormal filaments composed of α-synuclein. This protein are supposed to play a pivotal role in widespread degeneration of subcortical structures of the brain, especially dopaminergic (DA) neurons in the substantia nigra. On the other hand, 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP), could use to simulate the degeneration of DA neurons. N-Methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+) will formed in astrocyte or 5-HT neuron, transport in DA neurons.
By now, there is no measure to effectively control the progress of this type of disease in clinic. Currently, most of the drugs for treating neural degenerative diseases only alleviate the symptoms rather than cure the diseases, and they have significant side effects. For example, by now there is no drug or treating measure which completely blocks the progressing of PD; tacrine (tacrine), drug for treating AD, has been eliminated from selection for its toxic and side effects to liver as well as significant drug-drug interactions; the side reactions of donepezil (donepezil), rivasrigmine (rivasrigmine) and galantamine (galantamine) are primarily nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and anorexia. Therefore, there is a pressing need in a drug for treating neural degenerative diseases, which protects the nerve cells and changes the progress of the disease at the same time, and which has no side effects.
Semen biotae, also named as seed of cypress, seed of Platycladusorientalis, or the like, is the mature seed of Platycladusorientalis, Cupressaceae family, and is primarily produced in Shandong, Henan, Hebei, Shanxi, Hubei, Gansu as well as other places in China. Semen biotae is a frequently used Chinese traditional herb medicine. The use of Semen biotae is often observed in Chinese traditional herb medicines made up of two or more ingredients, such as BaiziYangxin pills (semen biotae, codonopsis, cinnamon, polygala, schisandra, semen ziziphispinosae, cinnabar, astragalus, rhizomachuanxiong, angelica, fermented pinellia, poria, and licorice), which is used in patients lack of heart-qi and patients with insomnia or amnesia. A healthy drink for improving memory and preventing Alzheimer's disease include 21 herb medicines like semen biotae, fructusrubi, poria, polygala and so on. There are no reports on the use of semen biotae extract in treating neurodegenerative diseases.